Homework - Weekly Homework Packet

I make a weekly homework packet that's given to the children on Monday to be returned Friday. For each of the four days, I give a language arts and math page to be completed. These can include spelling practice, phonics, grammar, etc. whatever we're working on during the week. A night's homework should take no more than fifteen or twenty minutes to complete in my district. The parents love having all week to complete the packet with their child.

I teach first grade and send home a weekly homework packet every Monday to be due back on Friday. The parents love it because it enables them to complete homework with their child when its convenient. I have a cover sheet attached which states what should be completed on each day if they desire to do it that way. :)

I send home my "homework contract" on Monday and it is due back on Friday. Students are expected to read for 15 minutes, practice spelling words for Friday's test, memorize a Bible Verse, and they have math flashcards of basic addition facts (and soon subtraction). The parents record the books read each night and initial it each night, too. This is their accountability part that they are reading the books I send home each night. Homework is only supposed to take about 30 minutes each night.

I always send handouts that I have taught by Friday or that will be taught by Monday or Tuesday, making sure that they won't need to complete those until later that week. You need to be careful about that. If it is a new spelling assignment, I model it and practice it with them on Friday of the week before.

My homework packet has a dated cover sheet with assignments listed for each day of the week, Monday through Thursday. When I speak to parents on Back to School Night, I tell them that if they are going to complete homework ahead of when its listed to be aware that the skill may not have been covered yet. You could also include homework on skills from the previous week so that doesn't happen. :)

I used to have the same problem of getting it in their folders at the last minute. With the packet, it gets done on Monday and you don't have to worry about it after that. Parents love it also. Some members of my first grade team used to do daily HW but have since switched over to the packet. They love it, too. It's worth a try, if you don't like it you can always switch back next year. :):)

I think the first year I used the packet was the hardest for me. It was time consuming finding appropriate and relevant practice for the kids. Now it's much easier. I keep packets from years past in a folder and I might only have to make a few changes before copying and handing out. (Pacing and skills stay relatively the same from year to year.)

Here is what I have come up with as far as a cover sheet for my homework packet. I took one, that I believe that I found here, (I'm sorry I don't know who to give credit to) :o and I tweaked it to work for my classroom needs. What do you guys think Do you see any typos or things you'd change Thanks, because this homework packet is going to be SO NEW for me this year, but I'm excited! Thanks for all of your help (especially janicepet)

Every week I send home a list of spelling words and a home reading bag. The home reading bag has a selection of "just right" books that I expect the child to read to a family member, along with a reading log that I expect the parents to sign. At the beginning of the year I sent home a list of ways to practice spelling words and a list of ways to practice math facts.

Parents and children know that we will have a spelling test every Friday, math facts tests 2-3 times per week and that I will have a book chat with each child about one of the books in their reading bag.

There are no corrections or photocopies to do. I meet with children first thing in the morning to listen to them read/chat about their books, so it's an extra reading conference.

For me, this systems works out great. It's quick, easy, meaningful and routine, so that everyone knows what to expect. For parents who request extra homework for their child, I give them a list of ways to respond to books and a blank journal. I tell them that I'll look at any book projects that their child does and I'll read and discuss anything that their child writes. For people who insist on math worksheets, I'll usually give them a website address with printable worksheets and invite them to print some out for their child and then to correct them together.

I don't think that I'll ever do homework any other way.

This year I am sending home homework calendars. Each day has an activity that the students need to complete for that day. For example, September 3 might say, write your name 5 times, Sept. 4 might say, Draw a picture of something that starts with the letter s... This is at the kindergarten level but it could be addapted. With the calendar you can use a spiral notebook. I tell my students they need to return the work every friday.

Weekly homework works better for me. I send home a homework folder for the week on Monday. It includes spelling words, math review (I copy the Daily Math Review for M - Th), a poem to read, a reading passage with questions and a language skill. It's all review work that is reinforcing skills we are working on in the classroom - except for the spelling words which are new. Homework has to be turned in on Fridays. Parents (and students) love the weekly homework because of the flexibility with ball schedules, dance, church, etc. I do a quick check on Friday to see if it's been completed and to see if anyone is having a problem. Since I am not covering any new material and this is for reinforcement and review - I don't grade it. Works great in my classroom.

I love packets and my families have been very receptive to them. I do have them turn in spelling on Tuesday and Wednesday (3 X each in ABC order and MEANINGFUL sentences with a minimum number of words). We do a whole lot of lessons following Step Up to Writing to identify appropriate sentences.

The rest of the packet is due on Fridays and a new one goes home on Friday. The packet has 2 spelling pages, and 6-8 other pages of relevant work to support class work. They also need to read for 80 mins. each week (4 X 20 mins.) and record on a log that includes a reading response and parent signature.

This year I had a parent who came in religiously on Thursday afternoons to copy the packets and she returned on Friday AM to check for completion on packets, the students would then remove a few key pages that I wanted to get a close look at, the rest we would quickly correct together in a circle on the carpet with their papers in plain view. This did not even take 15 mins once a week.

It held them accountable, they never knew which pages I would be collecting and their packet was checked for completion each week. I liked having the spelling due on set days so that they did not leave everything for the last minute.